The Sewers and Other Wonderful Places to Be
by Morbid Cheshire
Summary: Ari's life as a heroine in Paragon City. PG13 for language later on. Reviews are adored!
1. Clockwork

((A/N: Heh. Just a snippet of my City of Heros life presented to you in fanfic form. And if you play this game, Ari's full name is Ari Taizen. Yes, she's the same Ari as the Ari I'll be using for my Teen Titans original character. Enjoy.))

"This is absolutely disgusting," Ari complained, holding her nose as she climbed through the slimy sewer tunnel. With a flick of her furry fox tail and a twitch of her fuzzy ears, she sighed. "I can't believe Athena convinced me to do this!"

"I can't believe you convinced me to go with you!" exclaimed Kid Rocket with a laugh. Adjusting her stylish goggles, she dodged a spray of sewage. "We heroes have glamorous lives, huh?"

"Yeah, seriously." The teenaged superheroes shared a grin before dashing down the dimly lit tunnel. Ari's stiletto combat boots made quite a bit of noise as she ran, and Kid Rocket turned to give the orange-leather-clad kitsune a look.

"Could you be a bit louder? I can still hear myself think." Ari stuck out her tongue, ducking to avoid a shower of waste and shielding her bright orange hair.

"Shut up, Kid." Kid Rocket giggled and sped off down the tunnel, vanishing almost instantly as her super speed kicked in. Ari sighed and chased after the red-and-yellow-costumed teen, traveling in long leaps across the old cement floor. Suddenly Kid Rocket came careening back around the corner and ran smack into Ari, who barked surprisedly in a rather fox-like manner and fell into the river of slime.

"Oh, ew! I'm _so_ gonna kill you, Kid!" Ari yipped, leaping out of the sewage and shaking herself like a dog, spraying drops everywhere. "Gross!"

"You'll have to beat them to it," Kid panted, pointing down the tunnel. Ari blinked and growled as the telltale whirring of Clockwork reached her ears.

"Clocks... damnit Kid, how many times do I have to tell you? Don't aggravate villains when you're running!"

"Oh come on Ari, it's not like I could see them!"

"Exactly!" The kitsune exclaimed as she ducked a bolt of electricity. Throwing a fire blast at the mechanical monsters, she leaped over the swarm and executed an accurate flip kick, knocking the nearest robot into a wall and shattering it.

Kid Rocket whipped around attacking the Clockwork like a red and yellow whirlwind, zipping in and out of the robot's ranks. Slamming one over the head with a double-fisted Haymaker and back-kicking another, she ignored the electrified bolts and punches they aimed at her while she kept their attention away from the less resilient Ari.

One Telsa Knight threw a powerful bolt of lighting at the blonde heroine, causing her to stumble and pause in her mad attacking for just enough time. Raising its metal arms, it imprisoned her in a deadly Telsa Cage of pulsing electricity. Falling to the ground, Kid Rocket twitched and shuddered involuntarily as the Telsa Knight advanced.

Knocking smaller Sprockets from her path with bursts of flame, Ari leaped for the Telsa Knight, tackling it and somersaulting away. The metal Knight picked itself up with difficulty, turning unsteadily to face the angry fox-girl. With a snarl, Ari spat forth a deadly cone of firebreath, melting the Clockwork's cogs. With a shudder, it clutched its metal ribcage and collapsed, and the Telsa Cage around Kid Rocket disappeared.

"Phew... thanks," Kid murmured, standing and stretching. "Those Telsas are nasty!"

"Look out, they're not finished yet," Ari cautioned, trapping one advancing Sprocket in a ring of fire. Both heroines leaped back into combat, Kid Rocket keeping the robot's attention while Ari blasted away with her flame. After each and every Clockwork had been destroyed, Ari sat down on the cold cement to rest.

"You done with your mission yet?" Kid queried, doing jumping-jacks as she waited for the kitsune.

"Nope... I have to hunt down some Vahzilok down here," Ari replied, re-tying her ponytail.

"Ew, zombies? I hate Vahzilok zombies! Gross!"

"Yeah, I know... but Athena told me to," Ari replied, shrugging.

"Your contacts are weird," Kid informed her.

"Eh, I can't complain. Half-price on Inspiration pills," the fox-girl said with a grin, taking a small blue pill from her pocket. "I'm guessing after that battle you need an endurance boost?"

"You bet I do," Kid replied, taking the pill and tossing it into her mouth. Ari stood and struck a heroic pose, pointing down the slimy sewer tunnel.

"Onwards to Vahzilok!"

"...I _hate_ Vahzilok!"

"Not as much as I hate your whining."

"Aw, you know you love me."

"Bah. I only put up with you 'cause you absorb damage like a sponge in water."

"That's me, Kid Rocket the sponge!"

"Aren't you 'The Incredible' Kid Rocket?"


	2. Rescue

((A/N: Wooo, Morbid's continuing her CoH fic! This features the notorious Boomtown Wall Story, which Raven001 has heard before, with much amusement. XD Also, another fight scene, but this time it's against the Vahzilok zombies! Yay! Enjoy, people.

**Disclaimer: **City of Heroes belongs to NCSoft. Ari and Pistol are mine. Kid Rocket belongs to her player. Noelle is Raven001's, and she is used with permission.))

As the two heroines strode confidently down the sewer tunnel, they shared stories of their exploits, dodging random sprays of sewage. Ari chuckled as Kid Rocket finished a story about one of her screwy contacts, gracefully jumping over one of the rivers of slime.

"One time I was hunting in Boomtown with a team and we found a huge wall, right?" Ari began, giggling already. "So we were hunting along the wall, and clumsy Dragostii fell off as we were running… and he was all 'Wow that hurt man!' and Physistar suddenly had an idea. He led the flying and jumping heroes down the wall to hang by the street across from the wall, and the teleporters brought the others over. So then Physistar flew back up the wall and attacked this HUGE group of The Lost, totally pissing them off, and everyone was freaking out because they all pulled their guns at him. Physistar flew back over the wall and get this- The Lost actually FOLLOWED HIM!" Ari was nearly doubled over from laughter now, as was Kid. "They fell _straight_ off the wall! It was soooo funny… Then we got to go in and clean up the remainders. It was great, Kid, you have to try it sometime!"

"Ahhh, those crazy hobos," Kid snickered, grinning at Ari. "Didja try it again?"

"Yup! With Trolls! They fell too!"

"Probably 'cause they're all overdosed on Superadine, but still, that's priceless!" Kid giggled some more before beginning to jog in place. "Think I should scout ahead?"

Ari raised a brow. "After last time? I don't think so. We're gonna take them as they come."

Kid groaned and rolled her eyes. "Fiiiine, _Mom_."

Ari stuck out her tongue.

Up ahead, a gigantic group of Vahzilok minions milled around, hissing and groaning for blood. The zombies were haphazardly stitched together from mismatched scraps of skin, some with two differently colored eyes and some with patches of uncovered muscle gleaming a sticky red in the low light. Each Cadaver, as they were titled, bore the V-shaped brand on their shoulder that marked them as belonging to the evil Dr. Vahzilok. Two Reapers flanked the mass of zombies, twisted doctors complete with surgical masks and white aprons stained with entrails. Butcher knives, hacksaws and crossbows hung from their waists, bloodstained and razor sharp. A human skull served as a helmet, coming to their brows. Still attached to it was the spine that ran down the Reaper's backs, a morbidly intimidating look. A single Mortificator stood in the back, watching the others with a smug look of pride. He had the same weapons and attire of the Reapers, but he was higher in rank.

Ari turned the corner, still chatting animatedly with Kid, and stopped short. Her eyes widened in fear as the mass turned to face them. The Reapers raised their crossbows, while the Cadavers growled and moaned.

"Oh crap."

The battle exploded, the Vahzilok surging forwards while the heroines defended themselves with a fierce determination. Kid immediately leapt into the center of the fray, spinning about and delivering crippling blows with inhuman speed. Ari circled the group, throwing fireballs and retaliating with dazzling flip kicks to any who got too close. She faltered as one of the Reaper's crossbow bolts embedded itself in her side.

"Damnit," she hissed, tugging the offending bolt out of herself and flinging it aside. The nerve poison that adorned all Vahzilok weaponry began its work on her, and she could feel herself slowing slightly. The poison was always a small dose, but multiple hits would surely prove fatal. One Cadaver lumbered towards her, intent on killing the kitsune. She didn't notice it; she was focusing on taking down the Reapers and eliminating the threat of their poison. The Cadaver got behind her and spat a blob of green acid at her right as she was preparing a fire blast. Ari shrieked in pain as the poisonous acid ate through her uniform and scorched her now unprotected arm. A second poisoned bolt pierced her leg, and she stumbled and fell top the cold concrete floor.

Kid had no better a position. She was fending off most of the clumsy zombies' punches, but their acidic saliva was burning her as badly as it had Ari. "Ah, crap," she growled, ducking a punch and knocking over one or two Cadavers with a well-aimed kick, "We're in deep trouble."

"You said it," the fox panted, limping backwards from two Cadavers, "This is definitely going downhill."

"Are we gonna run?" Kid questioned, ignoring a trickle of blood that ran over her goggles.

"Think we should try it?" Ari replied, managing to down one zombie with a burst of flame. "They have some damn scary ranged stuff…"

"Well, we don't have much choice, do we?" Kid commented wryly, zipping around a confused Reaper and striking it whenever she had the chance. "Let's get outta here!" As soon as the Reaper reeled back, stunned slightly, Kid jetted off in the opposite direction, dodging the Cadavers' reaching arms as her superspeed kicked in. Ari swore under her breath as she tried to leap away, but her wounded leg wasn't able to perform to her usual standards. She did manage a few leaps, but it wasn't far enough up the tunnel. The Reapers and Mortificator had their crossbows aimed at her. She growled, resigned, and readied a blast of fire.

"Hell, if I'm going down, I'm taking some with me!"

Suddenly, one zombie fell over with a confused grunt as something slammed into it.

"Omigod I'm so sorry! I didn't mean- HEY! You're a Vahzilok!" The newcomer picked herself up and blinked. "There's tons of zombies down here!"

Ari stared in near shock, as did the Vahzilok. "…Is that you, Noelle?"

"ARI!" The girl squealed in happy recognition and a few sparks flew from her hands. "It's nice to see you again!" She had light brown hair and sported a rather casual costume with a lighting bolt on her chest. (A/N: Sorry Raven001, I forgot Noelle's costume xD I had to try and remember from the picture you drew. The one that resembled Terra. xD)

"Same here, but I'm in sort of a tight situation here…" Ari gestured towards the mob of Vahzilok irritatedly.

"Oh, right. Hey Pistol! Come down here!" Noelle yelled enthusiastically up the tunnel, her voice echoing. A second girl appeared, looking rather angry. Her hair was a shade of neon pink, tied back in a ponytail. Her costume was a black jumpsuit with pale blue patterns across it, and black combat boots like Ari's.

"What is it n- AAAH! Noelle! Why didn't you say there were zombies!" The Vahzilok had shaken off their surprise and were about to attack.

"I'm sorry! I forgot!"

"Oh, whatever, just fight!" Pistol concentrated and murmured something under her breath. A large black dragon-like creature appeared with a snarl, lunging for the zombies. Throwing them in the air and even gulping down a few, the beast raged tirelessly against the Vahzilok, while Pistol hung back, focusing hard to control the demon. Noelle threw bolts of electricity, electrocuting the remaining enemies. Neither of them suffered much personal damage at all, and the Vahzilok were soon defeated.

The reptile disappeared in a small flash of dark red light, and Pistol leaned against the wall with a sigh.

"Nice dragon," Ari commented uncertainly, searching her pockets for Inspiration pills.

"Actually that was a drake," Pistol corrected tiredly, rubbing her temples. "Dragons are bigger, and walk on four feet. Drakes have two feet and wings instead."

"...Oh."

Kid skidded back into the room, apologizing profusely. "I'm sorry Ari- I was almost to the tunnel entrance when I noticed you weren't there- Hey, where'd the zombies go?" She turned, and noticed the others. "And who are these people?"

"Kid, please meet our saviors, Noelle and Pistol."

"Hi there!" Noelle waved happily, and Pistol nodded shortly.

"Nice t'meetcha!" Kid waved back, grinning as always. "So you beat up the baddies? Nice! How didja do it?"

"She summoned a dragon-" Ari began when Pistol cut her off.

"Drake. Not dragon."

"Right, a drake- and Noelle fried them with her lighting."

"Cool! Hey, you two wanna join us? We're just finishing Ari's mission. We could be a great team!"

"Okay!" Noelle replied, and glanced to Pistol. "Shall we?"

"Fine," She answered curtly, and strode up the tunnel. Kid stared after her.

"What's eating her?"

"Eh, she's just like that sometimes…" Noelle shrugged helplessly. "She'll get used to you, don't worry!"

((A/N: Noelle and Pistol have finally made their appearance! Well, in CoH, you can't really have your hero summon demons, but that's Pistol's power s deal with it! –sticks out tongue- Please review. xP ))


	3. Sailing

((A/N: For anyone who wondered, Pistol's true powers in the game are Illusion Control and Kinetics. However, I prefer to portray her using the powers I designed her with originally. Kid Rocket's power sets are Invulnerability and Super Strength, while I believe Noelle's are Storm Summoning and Electric Blast, though I may be mistaken. Pistol's name in the game is PistolX, Kid Rocket remains the same, and I can't remember Noelle's game alias. Once again, Ari Taizen and Pistol belong to me, Kid Rocket belongs to her player, and Noelle remains a faithful creation of Raven001's. Anyway, enjoy!))

The four climbed out of the sewer, tugging open the grate and stepping out into the daylight. Ari took a deep, grateful breath; glad to be in fresh air again. Kid ran circles around the group, ever hyper, while Pistol glared moodily and Noelle hovered in the air. They had ended up at the Talos Island gate, after much exploration in the dank sewers.

"Where to now, Ari?" Noelle queried, grinning expectantly.

"I hear Stringa's great for hunting this time of day," Ari suggested, pointing to the nearby ferry that served as transportation between Talos and Stringa Island.

"Sounds great to me!" Kid exclaimed, skidding to a stop. "We can hunt those magic zombies and those puppy things over there, right?"

"Ahh, the Banished Pantheon and the Nightwolves." Ari giggled. "Puppies indeed! They can tear us apart!"

"And they throw these huuuuge rocks!" Noelle waved her arms for effect.

"Can't hurt me, I've got sponge powers!" Kid reminded them, snickering.

"What about the Council?" Pistol monotoned, raising a brow. "They aren't exactly easy prey."

"That's right," Ari murmured, realizing the truth of those words. "They have snipers and some powers too…"

"And those flamethrower guns!" Kid agreed, thinking. "Hmm… We'll try to steer clear of Council; we can go to the forests in he Bog area. They never hang out there."

"Good idea." Pistol looked to the ship. "We'd better get going if we want to catch the ride, you know."

The other three spun around. The ship was indeed beginning to pull away.

"WAAAAIIIIT!" Noelle shrieked, zooming towards the ship in flight without even thinking about it. Ari leaped after her, cursing at the pilot, while Kid easily ran aboard and got there before anyone else. Well, almost- Pistol teleported herself there first.

"I win," Pistol murmured, smirking, while Kid and Noelle glared.

(Stringa Isle)

The four heroines disembarked, clambering onto the long deck leading to the shore of Stringa. Ari grinned- this happened to be one of her favorite areas, despite the water.

"Ready, team?" She asked, glancing back. Kid Rocket and Noelle nodded eagerly, while Pistol shrugged. The kitsune laughed and crouched down, ready to jump ahead. "Then let's go hunting!" The team cheered (minus Pistol of course) and made their way towards the infamous Bog.

The Bog was well known among the heroes of Paragon. It was a forested area, beautifully green and full of trees and meandering rivers. The only downside was the nasty infestation of the Banished Pantheon on the forests' fringes- a group of fanatical death-worshippers. They used zombies, as the Vahzilok did, but theirs were magical, not medical, and hailed from the World War II era, toting rusted guns and bayonets. The Banished Pantheon also contained treacherous shamans, skilled in different forms of elemental magic, and deadly spirits that followed four elements: Pain, Death, Sorrow, and Desire.

As if they weren't enough, the Council also patrolled the Isle, though they were located farther from the forest in large bases. However, their creations, the werewolf-like Warwolves and less potent Nightwolves roamed inside the forest. They were tall, bulky humanoid wolves, with silver, black or brown fur. They had no powers other than their form, but they were devastatingly strong in close combat, making use of their fangs and sharp claws. They could also tear huge chunks of rock out of the ground to hurl at faraway foes.

The Council's main forces were soldiers equipped with assault rifles, machine guns, chain guns, flamethrowers- any firearm you could imagine, they had it. Specially trained snipers perched atop buildings and picked off heroes from a distance, while those skilled in martial arts could combat fiercely in melees. Elite officers also had powers, such as throwing antimatter at their foes or locking them in a gravity field. They were tough opponents, and the four heroines planned to avoid them as much as they could.

Kid had to find pathways to the Bog on the ground, zipping across ramps and catwalks. She was the fastest by velocity, but having to wind around obstacles put her at a disadvantage. Ari leapt across the landscape like a supersized flea, clearing over 200 yards and rising 80 yards per jump. She was the second fastest, and she could clear most buildings in one jump. Noelle had the most versatile travel using flight, and was far safer from random groups of villains while up in the air, but she was also the slowest. Pistol topped them all, however, by simply teleporting short distances on the way to the Bog. She arrived first, and waited for the others to catch up.

Kid Rocket got to the edge of the manmade pathway and stood at the edge overlooking the water. Noelle simply flew over it, but Ari yelped as she fell straight towards the water. She windmilled her arms and managed to grab the rail fencing of the platform, pulling herself back up. Kid laughed as she watched her friend glare at the sea.

"What's the matter Ari, afraid of the water?"

"She can't swim," Noelle announced, hovering a short distance away, over the ocean. Ari snorted as Kid gave her a look.

"The fire-user can't swim. Isn't that a little cliché?" she teased.

"Shut up, Spongy."

"Hey! Ari! You're all glowy!" Noelle exclaimed, pointing at the kitsune and waving her other arm frantically. Ari blinked and looked at herself and sure enough she was indeed glowing a pale blue color.

"What…?"

Kid poked her, and Ari gave her an annoyed look. "Just checking. You could have been one of those weird ghost things." At that moment, Ari vanished in a flash of dark red light.

She reappeared an instant later on the shores of the Bog, blinking as she reoriented herself. Pistol stood next to her, giving her a look.

"What did you just do?"

"I teleported you."

"….Oh."

"What about it?"

"Shouldn't there be… I don't know… consent or something?"

Pistol smirked, shook her head and teleported Kid over as well. The blonde giggled.

"Hey, _I_ coulda swum."

Ari kicked her, Noelle crashed into Pistol as she flew over, apologized profusely, and the team headed into the forest.

((A/N: Will Ari be able to slay her canine cousins? Will Pistol get revenge on Noelle? Will Noelle _ever_ learn to control her powers? Stay tuned for the team's adventure in the forest—next time on "All My Superheros." …Sorry, couldn't resist. Yeah, um, please review. :D ))


	4. Conflict

((A/N: Welcome back to "All My Superheroes…" XD My friend Neme (who I had no idea read this crap, thankies Neme!) poked me repeatedly until I promised to update this, so here you go, thank her. Character conflict and stupidity abounds! Whoot!  
**Disclaimer:** Ari Taizen and PistolX are my COH characters. Kid Rocket belongs to her player, while Noelle is Raven001's. City of Heroes (and City of Villains) belong to NCSoft.))

The four crept through the forest, quietly hunting for foes.  
"Alright everyone, here's the plan," Kid Rocket began. "When we find them, you three stay back while I get their attention. After they're grouped around me, Pistol can blind them and send in one of her demons. Then, you two-" she indicated Ari and Noelle, "-can start blastin' them! Got it?" The three of them blinked at the 'sponge,' shrugged and nodded.

"Oh, and everyone stay far enough away from them," Ari warned. "Their claws are like _swords,_ they're so damned long."

"We've got it already," Pistol sighed. "Can we go now?"

Noelle snickered and poked her. "C'mon Pistol! Lighten up!" The summoner glared acidly at her as the group progressed.

Kid stopped short, nearly causing a domino effect as the others bumped into her.

"Hey, what's-" Kid clapped her gloved hand over Ari's mouth, earning her an irritated look.

"Shh!" She hissed, pointing. "Look, they're right there!" The group immediately shut up and leaned over the smaller girl's shoulder to get a good look.

A pack of Warwolves were gathered in the clearing ahead. Silver furred lycanthropic nightmares, they all stood at nearly seven feet tall, with a muscular frame. Long, razor sharp claws jutted from paw-like hands, while shorter claws tipped their wolf-like hindquarters. Their eyes were pure, expressionless white, while pointed, elongated ears twitched back and forth. Each wore worn pants, a steel-and-leather collar, and a harness over their chests. They were a fearsome sight.

Kid looked back at the team and grinned, pulling her silver goggles over her eyes. "Let's roll!"

"That was _lame_!" Ari yelled after her as the supercharged heroine sped off straight into the pack.

"Hey, it's not like _your_ battle cry is always a creative masterpiece," Kid laughed, sticking her tongue out at the group of Warwolves. The leader snarled, enraged, and charged towards Kid. She turned and dashed off, stopping a distance away to allow them to catch up. "C'mon, doggie-woggies!" She taunted, running backwards a few speedy meters at a time. The pack howled in rage and chased after her.

Pistol glanced back at the group. "Think it's safe for us to start?"

Noelle laughed. "Naaah, let Kid run for a bit!"

"Wanna scout for us, Noelle?" Ari offered.

She nodded, grinning. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, get going. We don't wanna lose Kid."

"Sweet!" Noelle immediately jetted up into the air, flying after Kid over the leafy canopy. Ari and Pistol followed on foot, keeping out of the way of other enemies and following the Warwolves' trail. After of only a short time of walking, a high-pitched screech made them both jump and look up.

"I didn't know her voice could carry so far," Pistol deadpanned. Ari blinked and watched as Noelle streaked across the sky, screaming bloody murder as a swarm of insects chased after her.

"Wow. I didn't know bugs grew that large, either."

Noelle did an impressive loop and dove through the leaf canopy, throwing the insects off-course for a moment.

"What did you DO?" Ari asked, raising an eyebrow.

"BEEEEEEEES!" Noelle shrieked as she passed them by. The insects buzzed angrily after her, and Ari's jaw dropped as she realized what they were.

"Gah! Noelle! Those aren't bees, they're Swarms! From the Devouring Earth monsters!"

"GET THEM OFF ME!"

"Holy crap, what do we do!" Ari looked at Pistol anxiously, who shrugged.

"You shoot fire, right? Ever seen a bug fly into a campfire?"

Ari leaped into the air, grabbed a tree branch and launched herself off of it, gaining a fair amount of height from her superpowered leap. At the top of her arc, she flung a fireball at the Swarms chasing Noelle. The flames took out a few of the bugs, but the Swarm was largely unharmed. Ari's eyes widened as the Swarm aligned itself towards her. She landed with a jolt next to Pistol.

"Sooo… bug barbeque?"

"RUN FOR IT!" Ari yelled as the aggravated Swarms zipped down through the tree cover and flew towards them. The two of them took off sprinting a few meters until Pistol rolled her eyes and teleported herself well behind the Swarms. The bugs paused in confusion before chasing after Ari again.

"Damnit Pistol, thanks a lot!"

"Hey, _you_ ticked them off. _You_ handle them," Pistol laughed, watching as the kitsune bounded across the forest, trying to keep ahead of the dangerous insects. Blasting them with fire whenever she got an opening, she growled and leaped as high as she could, doing a mid-air backflip and running back to where she and Pistol had been. Noelle swooped down out of nowhere and fried some of the bugs with a lightning flash.

"Ahaha, gotcha!" She crowed triumphantly, before pausing and shrieking as the Swarm split up to chase her as well. Ari sighed and leaped again, springboarding off of a tree to gain more height. The Swarms zipped after her, stinging whenever they got the chance and slowing the kitsune down with their poison. Eventually they were able to overtake her, attacking her in midair as she neared the top of an arc.

"Gah! Heeeelp!" She couldn't control her landing and fell in a heap into the shallow stream below. Picking herself up painfully, she blinked as she realized she had fallen straight into the Warwolf pack.

"Oh crap."

The black Warwolf leader roared and swiped at her, sending her flying backwards and slashing three deep lines into her arm. She winced as she stood, looking over the claw marks worriedly. The Wolf charged, and Ari jumped a few feet backwards, quickly forming a ring of fire around him so he couldn't advance further. Shifting her attention to the rest of the Pack, she quickly ducked a huge chunk of thrown earth and sent a fireball streaking back at her attacker.

Kid Rocket ran up, skidding to a stop and looking at the kitsune.

"Nice timing, Ari, you just totally distracted them," Kid panted, giving her an irritated look. "Where the hell have you guys been?"

"Kinda preoccupied," Ari growled. "Noelle had a bee issue." She dodged another thrown boulder and looked back at the tanker. "Some help here?" Kid nodded and dashed to the Warwolves, throwing quick punches and kicks at each of them in turn and taking their attention away from Ari.

Noelle zoomed in from the left, rambling something along the lines of 'ohmigod sorry I totally lost you' and stared at the scene.

"Wow! That's a really big pack!"

"Quit staring and fry them!"

She quickly flung lightning bolts at them, helping Ari take them down one at a time. It was pretty close, but the three managed to take out the pack.

Pistol sauntered over, smirking. "So, how'd it go?"

"Oh yeah, it was awesome. Especially the part where _you weren't helping us!_"

"Hey, back off, foxy," Pistol hissed. "I'm not the one who aggrod a pack of Swarm. After you and that reject lost them _I _took them out."

Sparks flew from Noelle's hands. "Yeah, some stupid bees took you that long to kill, miss High and Mighty demon summoner?" She shot back, incensed from the 'reject' comment.

"It's not like you did any better, you idiot weather witch!"

Ari snarled at Pistol, fangs bared. "Who are_ you _to call someone a witch?"

"Hey! Break it up, you guys!" Kid stood between Pistol and the others. Pistol glared at the short tanker.

"I'm out of here." The angry summoner teleported away in a flash of light, vanishing before the others could stop her.

"Oh, great going, guys!" Kid threw her hands in the air exasperatedly. "Piss off the demon master that can take out entire groups! Nice one!"

"Hey, it's not our fault she acts so arrogant!" Ari growled, fox ears flattening angrily.

"Yeah, why's she so _emo_ all the time?" Noelle asked, pouting. Kid shrugged.

"Some people just have issues. Anyway, we've gotta find her."

"What!" Ari stared at Kid. "Why? She obviously loathes us-"

"HELLO? This is _Stringa Isle!_ With Council, Warwolves and zombies around every corner! A solo hero doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell surviving here!"

The two elementals blinked and looked guilty.

"Well-"

"Shut up and let's go."


	5. Author's Prolonged Note

((A/N: This chapter is only going to be a long author's note. Sorry for the false alarm.

Thank you all for asking me to put your characters in. I'm so glad people care enough about this to have them in here. I'd be honored to use your characters, but unless I've actually played or chatted with you, I'd have no idea how to write their dialogue or anything and I'd disgrace myself and them beyond belief. However, if you'd like to play with me, I'd probably learn enough about your characters to put them in. Keep in mind unless I've played at length with you, they'd likely be a quick one-chapter cameo. The best place to put them would be either next chapter or the one after that since I'm going to need a large team of heroes. I was just planning to use some of my other characters, but since you guys wanna be in here, I'd be glad to have you! Please feel free to either chat with me on AIM, e-mail or the game itself. My contact stuff is on my author bio, but for quick and easy reference, here you all go. Sorry for the screwed-up addresses and stuff, the Fanfiction thing is spazzy. When you see a word in CAPS and parenthesis, insert the symbol there (such as (DOT) would be .)

**E-mail:** Webmaster (AT) cheshire (DOT) zzn (DOT) com

**AIM Screen Names:** Mewling12 or MorbidCheshire13

I can also be found under these usernames-  
**Neopets:** Norizon41  
**DeviantArt:** MorbidCheshire  
**EZBoard:** Morbid Cheshire

My COH Global Chat Handle is (AT)Ari Taizen. You can find me as Ari Taizen (fire/fire blaster) or PistolX (illusion/kinetic controller) on Guardian in COH. I'm also playing as Jackall (ss/invul brute), Dodge (grav/energy dominator) and Mara Demoness (necro/dark mastermind) on Guardian in COV. All of my villains are from my other fics, so look 'em up if you have the chance. Kid Rocket was last seen as herself on Guardian a loooong time ago and I have no idea where she is now. Once again, I dunno Noelle's game name, but I know her player frequents the Champion server under my Global Handle (we share an account, thank you sooo much Raven001. x3)

Remember that this fic is based on the game and as I recall a team can only be made up of 8 people maximum, and our four heroines have to be included as well. So, I think I'll have a 4 person limit for now but if I see someone I can't pass up, I'll bend the rules. If you plan to e-mail me your information, please include your character's name, gender, powers and a bit of history and personality. So everyone, if you'd like your characters in, please talk with me! 3))


	6. The Bridge

((A/N: Hey all! Guess what? I'm not dead:3 I had tons of work to do this year and have been focusing on my art instead of my fics… so sorry for making all of you loyal readers wait. I haven't actually played since perhaps December or earlier, so if anything I say in here contradicts something new just ignore it. Hopefully some of you are still interested in this dreck. ;  
**Disclaimer:** Ari Taizen and PistolX are my COH characters, even though they're not active anymore. Kid Rocket belongs to her player, while Noelle is Raven001's character, used with permission. City of Heroes (and City of Villains) belongs to NCSoft.))

"I don't believe this," Ari groaned as the group crouched behind some foliage, watching a bridge, of all things. It was a short bridge, comparatively speaking, made of steel and built over a small river. It wasn't the bridge itself that was the problem, though- it was the masses of Skyraider guards patrolling it. They Skyraider gang was made up of retired (or discharged) military officials that had been slighted, jaded or otherwise offended in some way during their service time. All of them had the intense military combat training and were deadly in either ranged or close combat. Their most dangerous asset was something even more deadly- their ability to fly. Most Skyraiders were fitted with small, personal jetpacks. No hero was safe from them; Skyraiders had been known to pursue their quarry across countless miles until the exhausted hero was killed.

"Look, foxy," Kid Rocket snapped, "if you and Noelle hadn't sent Pistol packing, we wouldn't be in this mess! We can't teleport across it because she's not here. We can't fly, run or jump across it because they're _Skyraiders_ and will chase us for all eternity. And we can't just go across the river because you're scared of the water!"

"I'm not scared of the stupid _water_, I'm scared of _drowning_ in it!"

"Whatever! The point is the only way we'll make it through is a distraction."

"Yes, but why do I have to be the distracting part?" Ari whined, trying to weasel her way out of the job. The blonde sighed.

"I'm fast but not maneuverable enough to stay safe, and Noelle's flying is too slow."

"She didn't seem so slow when those Swarms were chasing her. How fast do you think she'll go for Skyraiders?" Ari grumbled, crossing her arms and pouting. "Besides, how the hell is my jumping the best?"

"They can't take aim properly with you hopping around like that, duh! If you stay far enough away, they can only shoot at you, right? And if you're jumping quickly, how are they supposed to aim long enough to hit you?"

"But-"

"GO!" The short tanker growled, shoving Ari out into the open. The kitsune winced as a guard swung around at the noise and alerted the others.

"Oh crap oh crap I HATE SKYRAIDERS!" The fox screeched as she leaped as high as she could, just dodging a barrage of shots. "I'm going to KILL you, Kid!" As the blaster led the group away from the bridge, Kid Rocket and Noelle jumped out of the bushes and ran for the bridge. Noelle paused, blinking, and looked over at the Skyraiders chasing Ari.

"What are you doing? Come on!" Kid yelled, skidding to a stop halfway across the bridge.

"Um, Kid?" The weather controller asked in a hesitant voice.

"What?"

"I think… I think you might have forgotten something in your plan."

"Oh? What?"

"Um… don't Skyraiders carry machine guns?" The weather controller glanced concernedly at her comrades.

The tanker's eyes widened. "Oh… oh crap. Spamming. They can just hold down the trigger, point in her general direction and probably score a hit! OH MAN!"

"Soooo… what now?"

"We gotta help, come on!" The two raced off towards the fight.

Meanwhile, Ari was leaping all over the place like a deranged grasshopper, practically shrieking her lungs out in panic as the Skyraiders did exactly what Kid predicted- spammed. Around three or four machineguns were aimed in her direction, and the kitsune didn't like the odds at all. She flung a few haphazard fireballs at the gang, taking out perhaps one Raider before being forced to leap for cover. A few bullets had already grazed her, and the Skyraiders seemed to start predicting her movements and getting closer every second. One managed to fire a bullet straight through her fuzzy left ear- much too close to her face to be comfortable.

"Oh god I'm gonna die!"

"Nu-uh! We're here to rescue you!" Noelle declared cheerfully as she and Kid came zooming in. Noelle first sent a big lightning blast over the group, and before they could properly focus on her, Kid Rocket ran into the fray and started delivering swift melee strikes before they could react. All of them turned their attention to the new arrivals, and Ari managed to climb up a tree and swallow a Health Inspiration pill, healing her minor wounds. As soon as she got her breath back, the fox was jumping from one side of the group to the other, throwing fireballs at point-blank before leaping to a safe distance. Kid would then dash in and retake the villain's attention, drawing them away from the two ranged heroines. Eventually the three managed to defeat all of their opponents, but it was a tedious fight.

As they pooled their Inspiration pills to trade for the ones they needed, Ari glared at Kid Rocket, flicking her tail agitatedly.

"Nice plan there. Make Ari into furry swiss cheese. Good idea!"

Kid smiled awkwardly. "Ummm, yeah, about that…"

"She forgot about the machineguns!" Noelle helpfully provided.

"Mmhmm. Okay, new plan- never let Kid come up with a strategy ever again."

"Shut up. It ended up okay, didn't it?"

"Did you _see_ what happened to my ear!"

"Oh, quit your whining, you baby. You're fine."

"Hey guys, weren't we supposed to go find Pistol?" Noelle asked conversationally.

"Hey, that's right," Kid looked up. "That _is_ why we wanted to clear the bridge, after all." She stood up and stretched, removing her goggles to wipe them of quickly. She grinned at them and started marching down the bridge, breaking into song. "C'mon you too, it's off to find the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!"

"Don't you mean the Wicked Witch of the West?" Ari snickered.

"Mm, this is true," Kid agreed, chuckling.

"If only the bridge were yellow, then we'd be set."

"Well, we have a Scarecrow and a Toto already. Noelle's brainless and you'd make a great puppy dog!"

"Oh yeah? What does that make you then? The Tin Tanker?" Noelle shot back.

"Well I'm sure as hell not the Cowardly Lion!"

((A/N: I had way too much fun imagining them as Wizard of Oz characters. That's all I have to say. XD))


End file.
